Chapter 2178

After what felt like an eternity measured in heartbeats rather than seconds, Albert finally opened his eyes. His gaze locked onto Felix with a cold, glacial intensity that made the boy instinctively shrink back.

“Besides the headache, where else do you feel unwell?” Albert asked, his voice low and steady, like a river in winter.

Felix hadn’t yet found his voice. His lips parted, then pressed together again.

“Doctor, my son’s been clutching his stomach all morning,” Miranda cut in, anxiety sharpening her tone. “He kept saying it hurt. It’s only just eased a little.”

Albert gave a brief nod, then flicked a glance at the nurse. “Your condition is serious. Acupuncture is necessary,” he said calmly. “Didn’t you say your head hurts?”

“I don’t want needles!” Felix shouted, shaking his head so hard his hair slapped against his cheeks.

Albert exhaled through his nose and turned slightly. “Hold him still.”

The nurse immediately pinned Felix’s shoulders to the bed with practiced efficiency. Albert selected a thick silver needle and stepped closer. “Listen carefully, kid. I’m about to insert the needle. You must not move. Do you understand?”

Felix stared at the grotesquely thick needle, his pupils dilating in pure terror.

“No! Don’t stick me with that! I’m not sick! My head doesn’t hurt—nothing hurts!” he screamed, thrashing beneath the nurse’s grip.

“How could it not hurt?” Albert challenged coolly. “Are you lying?”

“It’s true!” Felix blurted out. “Mom told me to pretend! She told me to lie to you! I’m totally fine—I don’t need acupuncture!”

His words tore through the thin fabric partition, loud and unmistakable. Everyone outside heard every syllable.

Miranda’s face drained of color. She lunged forward, instinctively reaching for her child.

Zachary stepped in, his arm extending to block her path. “The doctor is examining the patient,” he said evenly. “Please let him do his job.”

Miranda completely lost control. She slammed her palm against the wall, desperation trembling through every word. “Did you not hear my son screaming? That wasn’t a whimper—that was a cry for help! Your people are forcing him! Let me in—now!”

Her words hadn’t even faded when Felix’s small voice rang out again from behind the curtain, clear and devastatingly honest.

“My mom hates Aunt Cecilia,” he confessed, each sentence dropping like a stone into still water. “And Charlotte is Aunt Cecilia’s friend. Mom told me to pretend I was sick so Charlotte would get in trouble and Aunt Cecilia would panic.”

The room froze.

Any hope Miranda had of salvaging the situation shattered on the sterile hospital floor.

Nathaniel slowly turned toward her, his dark gaze locking onto her face. His voice was calm—so calm it chilled the air. “Miranda,” he said, “care to explain?”

Miranda forced a smile, brittle as cracked porcelain. “You know how children are,” she said weakly. “They make things up all the time. Surely you don’t believe him?”

Only then did Adrian fully grasp what had happened. His wife’s hysterics had ignited the entire disaster. The color drained from his face, his earlier bravado collapsing completely.

His shoulders sagged, the man suddenly looking small and worn. “Miranda,” he muttered, shame and disbelief tangled in his voice. “How could you teach our son to lie?”

Robert arrived just in time, reading the room with the instincts of a seasoned statesman. This was no moment for more arguing—damage was already being done.

“Miranda,” he said firmly, “apologize to Nathaniel. End this now.”

At the same time, the nurse caught Albert’s silent signal and brought over a first-aid kit, placing it neatly in front of him.

“Lie down on the examination bed behind the curtain,” Albert instructed, pointing toward the partition.

Uncertain and frightened, Felix obeyed, climbing onto the narrow bed. The nurse pulled the curtain closed, sealing Felix and Albert inside, while Miranda and the others were ordered to stay where they were.

Inside the cramped cubicle, Felix stared around nervously as Albert opened the kit.

His eyes widened instantly.

Inside were needles of every length and thickness, gleaming coldly like a bed of silver thorns.

“I’m going to perform acupuncture on you,” Albert said flatly.

Felix had seen acupuncture on television. He knew exactly what it meant.

“I… I don’t want that,” he whispered, his body trembling.

Outside, Robert knew all too well—if this confrontation dragged on any longer, their side would pay a far heavier price.